Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations - Matthew 28:18

Most of us in this community were fortunate enough to have been born into our faith. Within our mother’s womb, our faith was already gifted to us by our parents and later upheld through our baptism and other sacraments. Even if this isn’t the case for you, we all have our own story on how we encountered God, and how at this point in your life, you claim to believe. 

In Matthew 28:16-20, the apostles encountered the resurrected Jesus and received His final command: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This gospel, along with its other versions, is therefore often recognized as “The Great Commission”.

In order to more easily understand this order, we turn to another line in the Bible: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). As Our Heavenly Father sent Jesus to the world to share His message, Jesus delegates the same duty—not just to the apostles—but also to us. 

In our world today, over 2 million individuals are followers of Christ. If our life to commission is our mission, then one question must naturally come to mind: How? How could we possibly follow after Jesus’ footsteps and achieve such an amazing feat? Perhaps we should dedicate the rest of our lives in performing conversions and advocating missions abroad? Actually, the solution is simpler than that. 

When Jesus told the apostles to make (not find) disciples, He didn’t mean for them to literally shower water on others and dictate His commandments on them until they believed in Him. It doesn’t even imply a subtler approach, such as sparking a spiritual conversation with a stranger or inviting a friend to praise and worship! Moreover, it certainly does not mean having the right to shame others with different values or perspectives than you have. It is not a part of our duty to forcefully impose our beliefs on others. Rather, Jesus actually suggests that to commission is not to change others, but to ignite a positive change first within oneself. 

On a more personal note, I’ve been struggling recently about the kind of person I am, especially one belonging in such a community as the Youth Ministry. I often question my goodness as a person, and my worthiness of representing this community. I can’t seem to figure out why, even as I attempt and claim to be closer to God, I still can’t control my inner demons. I feel like I should be able to control and rise above my petty rages and follow His orders—orders such as honoring my father and mother. It is quite disappointing to have taught Mark 10 recently on the lesson of honoring one’s parents and still feeling unable to do so. I feel like a hypocrite every time I disappoint my parents more than I already do. How can I say that I am an active member of BLD, yet dare to show disrespect and even raise my voice at my parents? No matter how many times I listen to Jon Jorgensen’s spoken word, “Not Qualified”, my heart and conscience can never be fully relieved. I don’t feel like I’m worthy to be displaying the goodness that my parents—and I—can’t see in me. 

But here’s the thing I constantly fail to recall: Jesus commissioned all of us—and not just the seemingly perfect (for no one is truly perfect). I don’t know everything about the Bible, I can only recite a handful of prayers by heart, and truthfully speaking, I can’t even name all the 10 Commandments in order. I also often fail at holding my tongue in states of anger and also choose to bury myself in deeper sorrow during difficult times. Even so, I am slowly realizing now, through much thought and self-convincing, that I am just as worthy as the apostles. For the apostles, upon seeing Jesus after His death, worshipped but also doubted (see, no one is perfect!). Even so, Jesus still calls on the flawed to relay His word. So I know that I, too, am worthy of carrying out this divine order. 

  

It is also worth remembering that this order is embedded with obstacles that prevent us from becoming messengers of Christ. Oftentimes, we become the creators of these obstacles. For example, as a perfectionist, I virtually refuse to see myself fit for the role to discuss commissioning; I feel like this task was given to the wrong person, and I fear that I will ultimately fail. However, we—myself included— all have to remind ourselves from time to time that it is not because of our downfalls that determine who we are, but how we rise up from them. 

Admittedly, I still don’t know how to find peace within myself, but the more I realize that I am not alone in this calling, that I am not the only imperfect one, and that He trusts in me, then the more I believe that I AM capable. After all, Jesus says in the gospel, “I am with you always, until the end of the age”. There is no better feeling of security than that. Knowing that He is with us, we have to gradually overcome our own burdens with a willingness to change so that we, too, may light the way for others.

Lastly, when Jesus told us to “Go” and make disciples, He implied that our mission to commission is not a dramatic, instantaneous event; it is a journey we are and will be going through for the rest of our lives. Jesus did not acquire such an immense following in one moment; He acquired them throughout his lifetime, encountering disciples along the way like Zacchaeus, the apostles, and even some of the blind who failed to see but still believed. His testament even remains alive up to this day— through you! Ultimately, one’s moral character is the clearest reflection of the kind of God we follow and will shed light on Jesus’ good teachings. In this way, we choose to be a positive influence throughout life’s ups and downs and hopefully inspire others to do the same. So whereas the book of Matthew ends with the Great Commission, always keep in mind that the Great Commission begins with you.

— Caitlin Oliveros